Concrete offer needed to suspend strikes in Wales, CSP says

Further discussions are to take place between health unions and civil servants after a meeting with the Welsh government that made additional money available for an NHS pay award.

The meeting, attended by the CSP and eight other health unions, followed an announcement by the Welsh government earlier in the week that a one-off payment could be offered to settle the dispute.

However, the CSP says that until a firm offer of an improved pay award is made, strike action will not be suspended.

Planning for strike action will continue in Wales, with a date expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Adam Morgan, senior negotiating officer for the CSP in Wales, said: ‘The Welsh Government demonstrated today that it is willing to negotiate on pay, which is a welcome development and hopefully moves us closer to resolving this dispute.

However, it is just the start and until a concrete offer is made that we can take back to our members, we cannot suspend our strike action.

‘Our members across Wales gave us a mandate because they knew the current pay award was too little to help them through the cost of living crisis and would do nothing to address the workforce crisis.

‘That remains the case as of now, and we will announce our strike dates in due course.’

The current award in Wales, which gave a flat rate uplift of £1,400 for most NHS staff, was rejected by members last year, who subsequently voted for strike action in all health boards. 

The CSP yesterday announced initial strike dates of 26 January and 9 February  in England

Members in Scotland voted to accept an improved offer at the end of 2022
 

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